1) Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to modal analysis systems and methods, and more particularly, to automated electrodynamic modal test impactor systems and methods.
2) Description of Related Art
Modal analysis is increasingly becoming an important part of the development and testing of structures and component parts in the aerospace, automotive, and structural engineering and design industries, as well as other industries. Modal analysis measures and analyzes the dynamic response of a structure when excited by an input. In structural analysis and testing, modal analysis may be used to determine the natural mode shapes and frequencies of a structure during free vibration. Detailed modal analysis may be needed to assess the potential for structural dynamic problems, such as fatigue, vibration and noise.
Known manual impact excited modal analysis testing methods and systems exist. However, such known manual methods and systems may provide inferior quality data when the impact force produced varies between impacts and/or impact location and the angle of impact varies even slightly during the test. In addition, such known manual methods and systems may have long test times due to increased time between impacts, which may be needed when an operator is trying to control a hammer, and due to increased time from possible double impacts, which may be unacceptable from a data standpoint and may be almost unavoidable with a hammer.
In addition, known automated impact excited modal analysis devices and systems exist. However, such automated devices and systems may be too large to fit in many areas where they would benefit testing, may be unwieldy to handle due to their large size, may contaminate the data by using contact points between the structure being tested and the impact device, and/or may have limited controllability of the impact characteristics. For example, known automated impact excited modal analysis devices, such as instrumented modal test hammers, may provide no ability to reliably control force or impact location or angle of impact. Further, one such known automated impact excited modal analysis device uses a solenoid driven by a specially designed control circuit. However, the use of such solenoid may only be adjusted in amplitude but not pulse width. Moreover, the use of such solenoid may have limited controllability and may distort the response of the structure being tested, such as when it is placed on the structure being tested.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved electrodynamic modal test impactor system and method that provides advantages over known systems and methods.